Adapted from Authentic Mexican Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, Rick Bayless
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
2 Tbl lard or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ripe medium tomato, charred and roasted
1.5 quarts chicken broth (this recipe is vastly improved using homemade broth)
4-6 store bought tortillas**
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and deveined
8 oz cubed Mexican queso fresco, or other mild fresh cheese
Salt to taste
1 large lime, cut into wedges
Cilantro leaves
Avocado (optional)
** Slice the tortillas into thin strip, ¼ inch thick, and allow them to dry out or stale for a few hours or overnight. You can also substitute good-quality tortilla chips. In Chicago, try the Il Milagro brand.
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat; add the tortilla strips and fry, stirring frequently, until they are crisp. They will continue to darken a bit after removing them form the oil so watch carefully that they don’t burn. Drain on paper towels.
Cut the seeded and deveined chilies into 1-inch squares and fry in the hot oil for just a second, immediately remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 Tbl lard or oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and whole garlic cloves, and fry until both are golden-brown. Scoop the tomato, onion and garlic into a blender jar and process until smooth.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of lard or oil in the same skillet, and when hot, add the contents of the blender jar and sauté until thick and considerably darker. Scrape this mixture into a large saucepan.
Stir in the broth, partially cover the pan, and simmer for half an hour to mingle the flavors. Season to taste with salt.
Just before serving, divide the cheese and chiles among 4 bowls. Ladle on the hot soup, garnish with the crispy tortilla strips, cilantro and the optional avocado. Serve a wedge of lime with each bowl of soup.